ZSU controller concerned with coordination radar shutdown during peak traffic period.

Attributes
ACN	501805
Time
Date	200102
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zsu.artcc
State Reference	PR
Environment
Weather Elements	Rain
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller limited radar : 12 controller non radar : 6 controller radar : 12
ASRS Report	501805
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance FAA ATC Human Performance ATC Facility
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Intra Facility Coordination Failure
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : zsu.artcc radar equipment : zsu.artcc

Narrative:

Total loss of radar, no backup mearts. Very stressful for all involved. Outage was on and off for over 3 hours. With outage, only 1 frequency was usable out of 5, without sufficient coverage. Many aircraft at minimum fuel holding over water. Lifeguard aircraft with baby on life support also affected. Aircraft released without a stable system. Known loss of radar was anticipated and we were told to accept handoffs and departures released. Had to confront some staff to heighten the awareness of over 10 crossing and transitioning aircraft before they switched system -- and that was while I was on break with another controller. After debrief, I was as afraid as I have ever been.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZSU CTLR CONCERNED WITH COORD RADAR SHUTDOWN DURING PEAK TFC PERIOD.

Narrative: TOTAL LOSS OF RADAR, NO BACKUP MEARTS. VERY STRESSFUL FOR ALL INVOLVED. OUTAGE WAS ON AND OFF FOR OVER 3 HRS. WITH OUTAGE, ONLY 1 FREQ WAS USABLE OUT OF 5, WITHOUT SUFFICIENT COVERAGE. MANY ACFT AT MINIMUM FUEL HOLDING OVER WATER. LIFEGUARD ACFT WITH BABY ON LIFE SUPPORT ALSO AFFECTED. ACFT RELEASED WITHOUT A STABLE SYS. KNOWN LOSS OF RADAR WAS ANTICIPATED AND WE WERE TOLD TO ACCEPT HDOFS AND DEPS RELEASED. HAD TO CONFRONT SOME STAFF TO HEIGHTEN THE AWARENESS OF OVER 10 XING AND TRANSITIONING ACFT BEFORE THEY SWITCHED SYS -- AND THAT WAS WHILE I WAS ON BREAK WITH ANOTHER CTLR. AFTER DEBRIEF, I WAS AS AFRAID AS I HAVE EVER BEEN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.